The Fraser Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In his book Thinking the unthinkable, Richard Cockett outlined that Antony Fisher, who founded the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) played a critical role in the development of the Fraser Institute. "On the strength of his reputation with the IEA, he was invited in 1975 to become co-director of the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, founded by the Canadian businessman Pat Boyle in 1974. Fisher let the young director of the Fraser Institute, Dr Michael Walker, get on with the intellectual output of the Institute (just as he had given free reign to Seldon and Harris at the IEA) while he himself concentrated on the fund-raising side," Cockett wrote.

The Fraser Institute has published material skeptical of climate change science since at least 2001, which marks the publication of Global Warming: A Guide to the Science by Willie Soon and Sallie L. Baliunas The abstract states: "There is no clear evidence, nor unique attribution, of the global effects of anthropogenic CO2 on climate."

Kenneth Green held the positions of Chief Scientist and Director of Centre for Studies in Risk, Regulation, and Environment at the Fraser Institute from 2002 to 2005. While at the Institute, Kenneth Green published many anti-Kyoto and climate change skeptical articles, notably the "Science Isn't Settled: The limitations of climate change models", together with Tim Ball and Steven Schroeder.

As reported in the Vancouver Sun : "The Fraser Institute received $120,000 US from ExxonMobil in 2003-'04, according to the company's annual report. [Fraser Institute President Michael] Walker said the funding paid for the work of researcher Ken Green."

Barry Cooper is former Senior Fellow at The Fraser Institute and a professor of political science at the University of Calgary. He is "affiliated" with the Friends of Science, an Alberta-based anti-Kyoto astroturf group.

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Some very interesting related discussions at the University of Calgary:

http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/11826

Science, education, fundsA look into the Friends of Science connection to the University of Calgary...Dr. Barry Cooper, a professor in the political science department at the U of C, set up the Science Education Fund at the university, according to an Aug. 12, 2006 article in the Globe and Mail and, according to the Calgary Foundation's communications director The Science Education Fund is an anonymous fund...

At issue is the source of income for the Science Education Fund. Both Dr. Cooper and current Friends president Douglas Leahey have admitted that the Friends are taking donations from oil companies.

"If the Friends' position is not discredited by virtue of them taking money from oil and gas, then why are they trying to hide it?"

In Apr. 2005, the Friends released a video titled Climate Catastrophe Cancelled: What you're not being told about the science of climate change. The video detailed the Friends' scientific position on climate change and featured members of their scientific advisory board, Dr. Tim Ball, Dr. Tad Murty, Dr. Sallie Baliunas, among others.

and

Editorial: "Friends" is a four letter wordhttp://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/11843